Brotherly Love

North Pole

Kenzie and I found the North Pole.

Tis' the Season

Who cuts down a 12 foot Christmas tree when the ceiling height is only 9 feet?     The Widmers

Who's 9 foot Christmas tree falls over just as the last ornament is hung?    The Widmers

Who attempts to fix a broken ornament with super glue and fails to fix the ornament but super glues the broken piece to the the table top?  That would be me.

In this picture below the feet of the snowman are super glued to the table.

Korben's Car Lot

Korben loves little Matchbox cars… but how many cars one little boy have?  And this is only a portion of the car lot.

Looking on the bright side part 2.

The benefit of having a heaping pile of DIRTY clothes on my laundry floor is that I can reach the top shelf easily to grab a roll of paper towels.

Looking on the bright side.

At least the mountain of clothes piled on my dining room table are all CLEAN.

We made it.

We are here in Beaufort, South Carolina experiencing some amazing southern hospitality.    The kids were so incredible during the 14 hour drive down here (we did break it down into 2 days).  I kept looking in the back seat to assure myself that we hadn't left them at the last rest stop.  We managed to find a great state park and some really great playgrounds for breaks which helped in allowing the kids to run in circles after sitting for awhile.  We are staying in this amazing 3 bedroom loft apartment in the heart of downtown.   I am so grateful to CR for providing this trip for us.  Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. 

Coincidence?

I have been struggling lately in my role as a mother.  My 2, soon to be 3, year old son is what I like to call a strong willed child.  I am diligently working hard to shape the will without breaking the spirit (Yes, I’ve read Dare to Discipline, Bringing up Boy, and The Strong Willed Child by Dr. Dobson.)  Korben has been pushing and pushing me.  By afternoon, full on exhaustion has set in… in me and him.  At this point in the day I begin to question my mothering skills.  What am I doing wrong?  What I am doing right?  Am I too hard on him or am I too easy on him?  Is my daughter feeling the effects of my focus on him?  Nonetheless I’m tired a lot! When the adult school catalog came I thought taking a class would be a great way for me to have some me time.  I decided on the crochet class.  I figured since I was already decent at crocheting I wouldn’t have to think too hard but I also would be learning something new.  Wouldn’t you know that the class is held in the child development room at the local high school?  Each Monday I am surrounded by posters, signs, quotes, and projects about raising strong self confidence children.  I love what I do each day but it would be nice to completely escape from the chaos for just a couple hours. :)

Let's hear it for static electricity.

At this moment I was so glad that I owned a camera phone so I could capture the amazing works of static electricity.

Bamboo=Band-Aid

Mama I want a bamboo. Mama I want a bamboo.  Over and over again Kenzie is asking me this.  It wasn't until I realized that a short while before this I gave Korben a Band-Aid that that is what she wanted.  Oh a Band-Aid Kenzie. Yes Mama a bamboo.

A Reason to Celebrate

To all my Yankee fan friends.  I feel so sorry that your awesome team has been eliminated from the playoffs by Detroit.  Yes Detroit has eliminated the team in baseball who each year continually buys the best players.  I guess it takes more than good players to make a team.  I’m learning a lot about teamwork by watching my son’s favorite program The Wonder Pets.  Better luck next year boys.

Just Checking Email

Jeff and I were eating our lunch together.  Kenzie was taking her nap.  Where's Korben?  We look and find him in Jeff's office with the door closed sitting on the office chair.  Korben what are you doing?  I'm just checking and writing some email.  I can't seem to potty train the boy but he knows how to check email... hmmm.

Batch O’ Potatoes

I was cleaning Korben’s ears with a Q-Tip, much to his dismay.  I said Korben hold still and we will see what comes out.  I showed him the Q-Tip.  His response; Mama that’s a whole batch of potatoes. I guess I should do the Q-Tip cleaning thing a little more often.

Our New Cousin

On September 20th Aunt Chris gave birth to a baby girl named Loie (said like Chloe but with an L). She is so precious.  We are so excited for Uncle Scott and Aunt Chris.  We love our new baby cousin Loie.

Catchin' Up

I have been out of commission for awhile, well not actually me, my website.  Thanks to my techie husband I am back up and running.  Lots of posts to come...

I love You.

Kenzie and I play this I Love You game.  I will say “I”… and she will say, “love you”.

Then she will say, “I”… and I will say, “love you”.  It is so sweet.  This latest time I started, “I”… and she said, “love cheese”… yeah me too!

Face Painting...

with mayo.

My little darling took it upon herself to open the mayo jar and paint her face with it.

Spare Change

I have been seeing an orthopedic for the chronic knee pain I have been having.  I had a follow-up appointment with him after I had an MRI done.  I rushed out of the house to attempt to get to my appointment on time.  As I was driving there I remembered that the doctor only takes cash or checks (who doesn’t take credit/debt cards these days?). I don’t carry any cash or my check book.  I remembered that there was an ATM machine in the hospital (that is where the doctor’s office is).  I had already taken my co pay out of this ATM, which wasn’t our bank, for the previous visit.  I didn’t want to pay the $1.50 again that the bank charges to use their ATM.  So what did I do?  I searched my car and found enough quarters to pay my co-pay in coins.

A first for everything...

My routine when folding the laundry is, as I am going through folding the clothes I pull out all the socks and put them in a big pile.  Then after about 3 loads I begin the sorting and matching process of socks.  Today during this process I had a match to every single sock in the pile… there is first for everything.

Mt. Tupperware

The items in my Tupperware cabinet are so strategically placed right now. It looks some what like a mountain range ready for a major landslide.  If one item is moved in the slightest bit, crash down the mountain will come.  I have been avoiding the cabinet the last couple days but I may have to venture in today and begin to reorganize.  Ah forget about it, I may just pull one of those open the cabinet real fast, throw the stuff in and close the cabinet real fast.  The trick is that this must happen within about 2.5 seconds or I’m doomed.

Introducing Trevin James.

Congratulations to Mark and my dear friend Kathy on the birth of their son Trevin.  What a wonderful little blessing from above.  Precious Trevin, you have one cool Mama!

Coffee Talk

Korben has been telling us that he is growing bigger and bigger.  I asked him, “What are you going to do when you get to be the biggest?”  He said, “I will grow taller and taller so then I can drink coffee.”  He is most definitely a Widmer.

We are the Cucumbers.

One the most favorite things the 4 kids (Ryan, Hannah, Korben, and Kenzie) like to do when they are together is jump on mattresses.  They particularly like jumping off chairs/couches onto the air mattress.  This past time when they were together and jumping, they were chanting, “We are the Bouncers”.  All four of them over and over, “We are the bouncers; we are the bouncers.”

We recently acquired a mattress from my grandmother which is currently on the floor in the loft waiting a box spring.  The other day I hear the kids upstairs chanting, “We are the cucumbers; we are the cucumbers.  I don’t know where this came from but they say it all the time now and it is just so cute.  

Thank you Amazon.

Amazon.com is now selling groceries. Today we received a promotional gift from them full of groceries.   I am amazed at the items in the box.  

I have put the items we received in three categories.  Things I will definitely use, things I might use, and things I have never heard of nor would I ever feed my children.

Things I will definitely use:  Annie’s Organic Mac and Cheese, Kashi cereal and oatmeal, trail mix, coffee, soup, a Tide stick, a flashlight, batteries, and crackers. 

Things I might use:  brownie mix, Chex Mix, Power Bars, Oreo cookies (who am I kidding this belongs in the first group.)

Things I have never heard of nor would I feed my children:  Yogos (yogurt covered fruity dots,  first ingredient sugar), Go-Tarts (frosted pop tart shaped like a granola bar, second ingredient sugar), Lemonade on the Go (first ingredient sugar), Cinnamania (bite-sized cinnamon bun flavored graham crackers (second ingredient sugar), Nerd Rope, although I have heard of this one I have never had one in my possession  (first 5 ingredients sugar, in some form or another), Mentos (no explanation necessary, I will be moving this to group one by this afternoon I’m sure), Carmel Crumble (I have no idea).

This is just a portion of the goodies that our free gift included.

Thanks Amazon for opening my eyes to a world of junk food that I never knew existed nor do I ever plan on having in my house again.

Naptime Mosquitoes

Just recently again the mosquitoes have multiplied profusely in our backyard, actually the entire neighborhood.  They were so bad that I couldn’t even take the kids outside. They were awful at the beginning of the summer and then for a while completely gone.  They’re back in full force… that is until Jeff sprayed a product called Cutter on the lawn.  I have little faith in products like this that promise and guarantee to eliminate an entire yard of mosquitoes.  Cutter has restored my faith in bug spray… the next day not one single mosquito did I see on me or the kids.  As we headed out to the swing set without swatting bugs Korben stopped looked up at me and said “Mommy, the buggies must be taking their naps today”.  I said “You’re right and bugs nap for a really really long time”

What's the plan?

Here they are planning their next mission. 

You go right.  I'll go left.  She'll never catch us and she will look real funny running around in circles.

Could It Be

It has been 3 days in a row now that the kids have napped at the same time.  Could it possibly be a new pattern?  I'm game!

Mama Rabbit

I looked out our front door and saw a rabbit nursing 3 bunnies right on our front walkway.  I found it peculiar that a rabbit would choose concrete to nurse its babies.

Green

Mama: Kenzie what color is the picture of the car?

Kenzie: Green

Mama: Kenzie what color is the picture of the yellow car?

Kenzie: Green

Mama:  What is the name of your baby?

Kenzie: Green

Mama: What is the name of your monkey?

Kenzie:  Green

Mama: What is the name of your painting?

Kenzie: Green

Yummy... Wood Chips.

We love going to the park.  I know that the kids will be mostly content while we are there, which is always a nice thing (things around here have been pretty chaotic lately).  Korben loves the slides and Kenzie, well, she likes to eat the wood chips... still. There are hundreds of things to do at the park, the slide, the swings, the rock wall, the lake, etc, etc, nope she likes the wood chips.

Score!

Concrete Shoes

The town stupidly planted oak trees along the strip of grass between the sidewalk and road about 10 years ago.  The roots of these beautiful trees cracked much of the sidewalk around the trees.  I had to leave the house as they began to cut down all the trees… huge oak tree gone in an instant. 

They have now been removing and replacing the portions of sidewalk that are cracked, which leads me to… soft cement… who could resist the urge to write and place handprints in just poured concrete.  So, I oh course attempted this with a 2 ½ and 1 ½ year old (this was another moment in my life as a mother where I said, "what was I thinking").  I picked up a stick and told the kids that we were going to write their names in the sidewalk. I definitely wasn’t specific enough as to which portion of the sidewalk we were to be writing on.  Korben walked down to the sidewalk and walked and walked right into the cement.  He was so scared for some reason.  He cried and cried that I eventually took the kids inside.  Unfortunately the cement was still too soft when Korben walked through it that the cement just splattered around… I’m still trying to get those handprints.

Some people bronze their kids baby shoes, we put ours in cement.

Hot Pizza

Our neighbor’s granddaughter brought over a play pizza pie for the kids.  She had played with it growing up and wanted to pass it along to us.  The kids loved it right away.  I have really been enjoying watching them as they pretend play.  We don’t have any play food so this was the perfect hand me down toy.  And although we do have a play kitchen outside (one we fished out the garbage) we don’t have one inside.  So yeah I let them play with the real deal inside henceforth always finding plastic pizza slices in the oven.

Jeff: “We should always check the oven before turning it on.”

Jill: Yeah, yeah I will.

Yeah yeah, well I didn’t when I turned on the oven today to bake Korben’s clay creation.

The smell of 3 melting plastic pizza slices suddenly hits me and then I hear Jeff’s words like a broken record, repeating in my head over and over again… check the oven… check the oven.

So we had a well done pizza that smelled far worse than anything else I have ever burned.

Hot Summer Daze

Hot Summer Days

Feeling Frustrated

Today I want to throw in the towel, call in sick, take a vacation day. I’m just down right frustrated.

Here is why:

• If Korben takes a nap for a little as a half hour it takes us 2 hours to get him to sleep at night but if he doesn’t take a nap at all he is unbearably cranky by 5 pm.
• The town decided to remove the huge 10+ year old beautiful oak trees planted along the road because they were breaking up the sidewalks.
• The doctor recommended lotion for Kenzie’s irritated skin. I was ecstatic to know that I could purchase it at Kmart. The lotion cost $11 for a small bottle which we will finish off in less than a week.
• The mosquitoes in the back yard are horrific again. The kids have welts all over their bodies.
• Oh yeah… and I am tired, tired, tired all the time

Looking on the bright side:

• I had a great swim with the kids today. Korben is getting more comfortable with going under water and Kenzie loves to go under water.
• Tomorrow is gym class which tires the kids out and they sleep at the same time which gives me a nice break.
• I am going to a Pampered Chef party tomorrow. It not so much that I looking forward to looking at kitchen gadgets, I do that all day. But I am looking forward to a little me time; some nice kid free adult conversation time.
• I finished the blanket I have been working on for Scott and Christine’s baby. The baby is due in September and I have the blanket finished in July… this must a record for me

Ok, I feel a little better getting that out

New Discovery.

Kenzie has a light brown birth mark on her elbow that is in the exact shape of a star.  If she ever attempts to get a tattoo I can tell her that she already has one... end of story.

New use for an umbrella...

an afternoon break for a story and a drink.

Lots o Blueberries

I think we picked about 15 lbs. of blueberries.

So far we had made a blueberry pie, blueberry muffins, and blueberry cake... oh yeah and just plain ate lots.

New Record.

Kenzie didn't pull out her hair tie the entire time we were blueberry picking.

This is the record for longest time the hair tie remained in her hair.

To the Moon.

While playing with our big Lego blocks today Korben and I had the following conversation.

"Mama Mama". exclaims Korben.

Yes Korben". I say.

"I am building a tower all the way up to the moon." a very excited Korben says.

"Cool, I want to be a part of your tower." I comment

Save the Tomatoes

I forgot to post that we trapped the groundhogs. First the Mama (we think), then the baby. Our tomato plants are thriving while groundhog free, that is until we spotted Papa groundhog eyeing up the goods today. I think we are doing the Papa groundhog a favor by trapping him because then we can reunite him with his family. The trap is set once again…

24 hours and counting.

Kenzie made it 24 hours without a bottle.

More Critter Comrades

While weeding a few days ago I discovered that we have a snake living in our flower bed in our front yard. The snakes that I have seen in this area before have been really really tiny, not this one. It is at least 2 feet long and rather thick. It is not poisonous; I cleared it with animal control. Just add snakes to the list of critter comrades that have been spotted in our yard (rabbits, groundhogs, squirrels, chipmunks, birds, and turtles).

And people think it rains in Seattle.

I was watching the news this morning and weather man gave the following fact:

It has rained 11 of the last 16 days... not a light mist or drizzle.... rain, rain, rain.

Our Brownie Making Mess

Critter Catching

I was getting really frustrated because some critter outside was eating our tomato plants.  It had already eaten all of our eggplants so when it moved on to tomato plants it was time to take some action.  After some observing we determined that this critter was a groundhog.  Jeff made a Home Depot run for a Have a Heart animal trap, we decided to spare its life (not that I have any great compassion for groundhogs but I figured we didn’t have to kill the thing).  The trap was set for several days and nothing.  Then one morning we saw some movement in the trap… we trapped a turtle.  It was cool for the kids to watch the turtle.  I know what they say about turtles but when we opened the trap it moved rather quickly.  

It's about that time...

to start the potty training process  Although they have both been introduced and have used the potty on occasion, it is time to get serious.  This is one of those things that as a mother I am scared about. What do I do?  Will it work?  How long will it take? ...but he did great today.  Thanks goodness for the warm weather.  He went the entire afternoon without a diaper and we only missed the potty once.  I am so proud of him.  I also figured if I am training him why not train her, she gets it.  She walked over to the potty and said, "Mommy, pee pee. Diaper off".  She sat down on the potty and that is as far as we got, no pee pee yet...

Milk, Milk, and more Milk

I have been trying to get Makenzie off her bottle now for over 6 months.  I have tried every make and model of cups on the market, different colors, different shapes, ones with straws ones without... nothing is working.  Her latest fascination is pushing the nipple through the bottle top and dumping the milk all over the floor... what else can I do?

Curtain Call

I started working on making a pair of curtains for our dining room. I had some fabric that I had bought a while ago to make curtains but they never came to be in our previous house. I remember the fabric was expensive but I loved enough to spend the money.

Today, I was actually motivated enough to take out the sewing machine, ironing board, iron, and sewing box. I measured and cut the fabric. I pinned the hem at the bottom. I was excited that these steps were completed before dinner. I had my “after the kids go to bed” night planned out. I was going to finally sew the curtains and they were going to be hanging on the curtain rod by bed time… but one minor event took place between dinner and bedtime that set me back a day or two or three… this minor event is named…Korben. It was my fault, I left the scissors on the table.

Here was our conversation:

I say very nervously, “Korben what are you doing?”

Silence

“Korben what are you doing?” I say as thoughts of my beautiful curtains enter my head.

“Yes Mama.” I hear very faintly. (It is this faint voice that always makes me a little more nervous.)

I race down that stairs, there is Korben sitting at the table with my scissors in his hands.

“Korben did you cut my curtains?” (As if I didn’t already know that answer.)

“Yes Mama right over here and here and here…” he answers me very proudly.

I will never forget the look on his face. He was so proud of himself for being so responsible with the scissors. Instead of swinging them around and pretending like they were a weapon, he was using them correctly… to cut my curtains.

My plans changed that evening. I spend the night attempting to patch the cuts.

Lawnmower Riding

Poppy bought a brand new riding lawnmower (this mower even has headlights). Jeff was excited to test out the new toy. He was racing it around the lawn like his was practicing for the National Lawnmower Riding Finals, if there is such a thing.

Not Yet.

It was bound to happen but I didn't want it to happen so soon.  Kenzie is hitting… hard. She is hitting Korben or anything she is mad at, the couch, the table, her toys.  Not yet my little angel.  Here we go again… the no hitting routine (timeouts, apologies, etc.) take 2…

Firsts

Korben got his first wasp sting yesterday on his ankle.  Surprisingly he didn't cry too long.  Within an hour he was back to his normal active self.

Birthday Favorites

Yesterday we celebrated Jeff’s 31st birthday.  I did the usual favorite meal followed by favorite home made cake.  The cake eating part is my favorite while the meat eating portion of the evening is Jeff’s favorite.  I was assuming that the kids would side with me as caking eating being the highlight of Jeff’s birthday.  I was taken by surprise when Korben wanted nothing to do with eating the big piece of chocolate cake in front of him.  He didn’t even touch it.  Although Kenzie did try the cake she wasn’t all that interested in it.  But I must say we lit the candles 3 times and Jeff’s received the Happy Birthday song sung to him several times.  The kid’s favorite part… blowing out the candles and blowing out the candles… again and again...  If I could only make that my favorite part I could get back to my pre-baby weight rather quickly. :)

Too Loud!

Korben loves trucks. But when the fire engines sirens were wailing at the parade on Saturday suddenly fire engine trucks quickly dropped to the bottom of the "my favorite trucks list". 

Pop the Champagne Bottle...

...the swing set is finally complete and the kids love it.  Thank you Nanny & Poppy!

Peas Peas everywhere on my clothes and up my nose.

Korben literally spent most of dinnertime shoving peas up his nose and then shooting them out. At first we weren’t sure why he kept rubbing his nose with a peculiar look on his face. After questioning and decoding this odd behave (although I am learning that with kids there is no such thing as “odd” behavior, it is just them exploring and investigating) Jeff and I simultaneously looked at the peas and then looked at each other.

Korben, “Do you have a pea up your nose?”

Yes, mama.

As we were brainstorming how we were going to extract this pea from Korben’s nose, out shoots the pea. I was laughing so hard that I encouraged the behavior even more.

The cost of frozen peas: $1.50

Time to prepare dinner: 35 minutes

Watching my son shoot peas out his nose: priceless

Wash my clothes.

Nana bought the kids an outside table that opens to be one side for water and the other side for sand.  So far we have used both sides for water... and for clothes.  I know that I get a little behind in diminishing the laundry mountain but I never knew that the kids would take it upon themselves to wash their own clothes and shoes with the new table.

Paybacks

My dear Korben, it looks like little sister MK has started her series of paybacks... Watch out!

Ready, Set, Climb

I am extremely picky when it comes to purchasing furniture.  After much internet and furniture store shopping I finally found a table and chairs that I loved at a small local dinette store.  I was thrilled with the style and mostly the price.  We purchased the dinette set on Monday and it was delivered on Sunday, perfect.  By Sunday evening my little Makenzie was climbing the ladder part of the ladder back chairs. What would ever posses me to buy anything with the word ladder in it? 

Cape May Zoo

We had a great day at the Cape May Zoo yesterday.  The weather was perfect and no crowds.  I loved the animals just as much as the kids.  Korben really enjoyed the amphibians and reptiles.  Oh dear, I hope this isn't a sign of what is to come as far as pet choices... snakes and salamanders... no thanks!

New House = New Adventures

As I was preparing lunch for MK today, something caught the corner of my eye, something floating in the air.  My first thought where is Korben?  And then another floating object catches my attention.  Floating tissues, ahhh yes it didn't take long for Korben to enjoy throwing things off the loft and watching them land downstairs.  Tissues have turned into clothes, clothes into toiletries, and toiletries into anything a 2 year can lift and move. If he was stronger enough to lift the chairs they also would be launched from the loft.

One of "those" days.

I am having one of those days where all I feel like I am doing is saying no, stop, don't touch, put that down... and then I have a moment where I hear the laughs and I get some hugs and kisses and I realize it is all worth it.

Victory!

I have successfully left the kids in the nursery for MOPS, church, and Bible study without being called out to tend to a very unhappy baby.  My pray has been answered.  Korben my sweet boy, thank you.

Try Try Again

I love living at the beach.  Some mornings I am greeted by the ocean's rage and fury and other mornings by it's peace and serenity.  This seems like the perfect metaphor for my life.  My mornings usual begin peaceful and then by dinner time, around 6pm, there are evenings when I am furious (something I am working on everyday).  God please equip me with what I need (and only you know what that is) to help me learn to "keep my cool" more often, with the children especially.  Each day, a new day, a challenge and I will try try again for victory.

Sweet Sweet Sasa

Kenzie loves her stuffed animals when she is not climbing chairs and dancing on tables.